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From the Cruyff Turn to the Blanco Bunny Hop and More

By Benji Lanyado January 18, 2010 5:00 amJanuary 18, 2010 5:00 am

It was the brightest flash of brilliant Orange. In a 1974 World Cup group match between the Netherlands and Sweden, Johan Cruyff picked the ball up on the edge of the box under pressure from a defender, feigned to cross, then pulled the ball back between his legs, leaving the Swedish fullback flailing like a drunken sea captain. And just like that, the Cruyff Turn was born.
Since then, there have been other moves that have become synonymous with an individual player. At the World Cup in South Africa this year, we can hope to see some of the players performing their signature moves in action.

Ronaldinho’s No-Look Pass, the “Elastico” and the “Espaldinha”

As the most precociously talented player of the last decade, it isn’t surprising that Ronaldinho wasn’t satisfied with just one signature move. As far as I can tell, he has three: The “Elastico” involves the flicking the ball gently to one side before almost instantaneously whipping it back in the other direction, as the Brazilian did against Genoa a few weeks ago:

The no-look pass is pretty self-explanatory. Ronaldinho dazzles the defender with his dentistry, flicks his head one way and promptly sends the ball in the opposite direction. Why? Because he feels like it.

Finally Ronaldinho opens up a new field in soccer real estate: the back. Here’s the “espaldinha.”

The Blanco Bunny Hop — “La Cuahteminha”

This summer’s tournament will most likely be Cuauhtemoc Blanco’s international swansong. Let’s hope he goes out in the manner in which he made his name all those years ago at the 1998 World Cup — bunny hopping around France. Our hero is faced with two defenders. He can’t go around them. Instead, he goes over them.

The Ronaldo Toe-Poke Screamer

The toe-poke is a rather inglorious move; a rarely-seen staccato thrust of the boot usually employed when a striker is one-on-one with a keeper. When you are playing in the park, the player who is toe-poking the ball is usually the one who doesn’t play very often. Cristiano Ronaldo, however, has transformed the toe-poke into an aerodynamic spectacle. Watch as he toe-pokes the ball from 30 yards, sending it in roughly 27 direction before it flies into the net:

Kerlon Seal

While this young Brazilian won’t be featuring in the World Cup, he can be credited with inventing the only move that requires a defender initiate a flying chest kick to dispossess him. Here’s Kerlon and his “Seal.”

The Poborsky Scoop

Sometimes a single move can make a player’s career. Back in 1996, when the superbly talented Czech Republic team was making its way to the Euro 96 final, an extravagantly-coiffed midfielder by the name of Karel Poborsky danced his way through the Portugal defense and scooped the ball over the best goalkeeper in the history of the game. No big deal. His reward was a transfer to Manchester United at the end of the tournament.

The Edmundo / Bergkamp Turn

In dark corners of sprawling cities the world over, rival gangs have been fighting over this one for years.

Which turn was better: Edmundo’s or Bergkamp’s? The difference is subtle — the Brazilian displayed his against Manchester United in the 2000 World Club Cup: spinning the ball around Gary Neville with his back to goal before re-inheriting it on the other side of the stranded defender and slotting it past the keeper.

Essentially, Bergkamp did the same, in the opposite direction, with the inside of his foot, which, technically, seems impossible. That’s why the Dutchman gets the nudge:

The Moravcik Trap

And finally, my personal favorite. On the green side of Glasgow, Lubomir Moravcik is a legend of the game, renowned for his expansive passing and long-range goals. But for me he will always be the twisted Slovakian genius who, during a Scottish League game in the 1990s, controlled a 30-yard pass with his rear end.

Now, over to you lot. Have I missed any?Correction: an earlier version of this blog post incorrectly identified the Czech Republic’s opponent in a Euro 96 match in which Karel Poborsky scored. It was Portugal.

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Goal, The New York Times soccer blog, will report on news and features from the world of soccer and around the Web. Times editors and reporters will follow international tournaments and provide analysis of games. There will be interviews with players, coaches and notable soccer fans, as well as a weekly blog column by Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore. Readers can discuss Major League Soccer, foreign leagues and other issues with fellow soccer fans.